Sabrina Gwiza is one of UGHE’s students in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery/ Master of Science in Global Health Delivery (MBBS/MGHD) class of 2026. Sabrina’s passion for providing health care to the most vulnerable stems from an experience she had when she was a child: her aunt’s mental health illness, which she was unable to treat. Sabrina aspires to work in psychiatry to help close the gap in healthcare delivery in Rwanda and beyond. 

She recently spoke to us about how the MBBS/MGHD program is equipping her with the necessary skills and knowledge to address health inequities that persist in many regions of the globe.

What drew you to the University of Global Health Equity, MBBS in the first place?

Since I was a child, I aspired to become a medical doctor, specifically in the psychiatric field. I’ve often wondered why some communities have few or even no mental health facilities, as  I had an aunt who suffered from mental health difficulties that were not addressed early on, and that I couldn’t do much about it. My choice as a kid who wanted to assist my aunt and individuals suffering from mental problems was to become a medical doctor. I was relieved to learn about UGHE just as I was finishing high school, and I truly wanted to be a part of it. Now that I’m being trained to be a physician by the best faculty at UGHE, I’ll not only be doing the MBBS program but I’ll also be trained to be a global health leader in the MGHD program on a full scholarship This is a fantastic opportunity that will help me achieve my dream of supporting my community through a medical career. I applaud UGHE’s commitment to equity in all its initiatives as I often witness individuals who are suffering but are unable to seek treatment because they cannot afford to pay their bills. As a future doctor, I want to help alleviate the socio-economic determinants of health that prevent some people from accessing quality health care simply because they don’t have enough money. I want to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity.

Which MBBS modules piqued your interest the most, and why?

Molecular basis and therapy, which focuses on cancer, is one of the modules in the MBBS program that has stood out to me the most so far. It was interesting to learn more about cancer, its many origins, how a person might get ill from it, and how to protect oneself from it. I like the fact that I can learn about it and its various effects because I’ve always wondered why there hasn’t been a treatment for it and why doctors can’t cure it. In that introductory module, I learned about how it is a diverse disease and very difficult to eradicate, but it can still be prevented using some lifestyle modifications such as exercising and eating healthy. I’d like to be an advocate for such prevention methods so that I can help others.

 The One Health module also grabbed my interest since it discusses how the environment, animals, and people can all be included in a one health approach. My belief that only humans count when it comes to diseases changed throughout this module because I realized that we need to look at disease not just from the human viewpoint, but also from the animal and environmental perspectives. If these three angles are not considered, the individual will be treated for the same disease over and over again since certain diseases are transmitted by the environment and animals, and both the environment and the animals are living things that must be cared for.  If the illness is caused by the environment or animals, then that individual is at risk. I have learned that you can get a disease in ways I’d never thought of or by doing simple things we take for granted like not washing your hands or emphasizing proper sanitation. You can get infected with serious diseases that could have been avoided by doing simple things. I also learned that we should see a health care practitioner before the condition progresses to a more severe stage so that it may be avoided early.

 How do you plan to use your skills and knowledge once you complete your MBBS?

I can’t wait to start working at the community level after completing the MBBS program to deliver healthcare solutions rather than sending them to other nations. As taught at UGHE, I will treat individuals and provide healthcare services with equity in mind- treating people not based on their socioeconomic situation but with the understanding that everyone has the right to quality healthcare. As  UGHE has taught me the importance of diversity and inclusion in eradicating health disparities, I intend to appreciate and consider diversity in all of my approaches. I will also propose collaboration with diverse groups of people to deliver technologies and solutions that are critical to achieving the mission of global health equity. I want to concentrate not just on an individual level but also on the community level. We are educated not only to look at a single person but also to focus on public health in order to properly cure illnesses –  not only for the person but also for the communities from which they originate.

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Applications for the next cohort of MBBS/MGHD class of 2027 are still open. Applicants from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda are now being welcomed. The application form is accessible here.